Zuba is the lion pride leader Alex meets in Madagascar: Escape 2 Africa.
Zuba is Alex's father, and their reunion forms the emotional center of the 2008 sequel. As a young cub, Alex was separated from his family and eventually raised in the Central Park Zoo under the name Alex. In Africa, he learns that Zuba and his mother, Florrie, have continued living in the wild.
Zuba leads a pride in a reserve and initially struggles to understand Alex's zoo-raised habits. Their relationship develops as Alex tries to prove himself and help resolve a conflict affecting the pride.
Zuba is not the same character as Vitaly, the tiger in Madagascar 3, or Mason, one of the chimpanzees. The film uses Alex's family story to contrast life in captivity with life in the wild, while keeping the franchise's comic tone.